Used buyer's guide: Skoda Superb

The Skoda Superb makes sense second-hand as hatch or estate

Verdict

The only major drawback of the Superb is the hatchback’s odd styling. On all other counts, the car is a fine used buy. The space, sophistication and low running costs put the hatch and estate at the top of the family car tree.

What to look for

• Estate has regular tailgate, but to open hatch’s Twindoor you have to press two buttons – annoying.
• Water can get into the front foglights. Check the dealer has swapped them during service.
• On cars with 18-inch wheels, owners have reported faster wear of tyres and bearings.

Stick to diesel versions of the Superb. Petrol cars are refined, but the 1.4 TSI is rare and the 1.8 TSI is thirstier than the TDIs in the real world. The 3.6-litre V6 petrol is pure indulgence. No real bugbears have arisen yet on the diesels. The particulate filter on the 2.0-litre common-rail engines does clog up, to the point that the warning light comes on, but a foot-down drive soon clears this.

On higher-mileage cars, check the cambelt has been changed at 90,000 miles for older PD diesels and 120,000 miles for common-rail TDIs. The water pump should be checked at the same time for leaks – ask the seller for the name of the servicing dealer and ring it to see what work was done.

Recalls

The biggest recall affects Superbs with the DSG twin-clutch auto box. A control unit reprogramme was required as a faulty sensor caused the clutch to open unexpectedly. This affected just under 500 Superbs made from September 2008 to August 2009; some Octavias were called back over the same issue.

The only other recall was for a dodgy heater earth connection on five cars built from July 2008 to February 2009. Plus, dealers have replaced leaky foglights and fixed vibrating door panels.

Driver Power

Your view:
George Kusza from Blairgowrie, Perthshire, bought his Superb 2.0 TDI 170 hatchback in 2009. “I love the car and while the Twindoor hampers the looks, in my experience practicality is second to none. My Superb has just passed its second birthday and apart from flimsy door speakers, a faulty sat-nav and some trim corrosion, it has been flawless.”